Along with queueing and moaning about the weather, having a soft spot for M&S is deeply embedded into British culture. M&S has done an impressive revamp of its design offering in recent years under the stewardship of Lisa Illis, head of womenswear design. Once somewhere fashion insiders would go for multipacks of knickers, 50 denier tights and school uniforms, it has now moved beyond the “how to save M&S” headlines and drab financial updates, thanks in part to an elevated offering that has genuinely added some much-needed energy to the otherwise lacklustre high street.
This month’s cyber hacking demonstrated the extent to which M&S has overhauled its fashion reputation. I had panicked Whataspps from friends who were furiously curating a wish list ready for the moment it recommenced trading – shopping behaviour I’ve only actually known people do in anticipation of the Net-A-Porter seasonal sale. Bear in mind, in 2018 a Vogue article said that finding a “key piece” of clothing in a branch is an experience “akin to that of a Victorian botanist roving forth into Burmese tropical climes in search of a rare orchid.” If you told me back then that an M&S summer collection would cause a shopping stampede, I simply wouldn’t have believed you.
Six weeks after it paused operations on its ecommerce site, M&S has just re-opened its website and will be gradually adding more fashion product over the next few weeks, causing a shopping surge that we only typically see with high-street designer collections. Sienna Miller’s collaborations have gone along way towards reposition good ol’ Marks and Sparks – the white three-piece trouser suit and green satin maxi were like catnip for those who have trying to dress like Sienna ever since her Alfie days. But it’s not just about the big-budget, high-profile collaborations, the bread-and-butter offering is also delivering cult item after cult item. This year, the polka dot strapless midi-dress, balloon-hem red skirt, barrel-leg jeans and brown suede loafers all deserve honourable mentions.
Below, we bring you our edit of the M&S new-in pieces that Vogue editors are impressed with this summer. Top post-cyber attack shopping tip – add any out-of-stock items to your wish list to receive a notification when it is re-launched on site.
